Sam is a Shirlaws Advisor and MarketForce Associate who works with businesses that want to change. She is a Human Dynamics Wizard; changing the world one behavioral shift at a time.

Clients work with her to increase leadership capability, performance, and process in their business. With two decades of experience working in the field of human dynamics, she understands what it takes to shift human behavior to grow a business and break through resistance to change. Clients tell her they feel confident to make the next jump when she is on their team, made possible through her devotion to their end goal.

Sam will be one of the speakers at the DisruptHR Cayman event on May 25 as well as the host of the 2016 CISHRP Conference the following day.

1. Why did you decide to be a speaker at DisruptHR Cayman?

Sam: I am passionate about shifting the perception of HR and this event provides the perfect opportunity to speak up and disrupt.

2. What will you be speaking about at DisruptHR Cayman?

Sam: Our approach to training is flawed and if I knew this 10 years ago I could have saved my organization hundreds and thousands of dollars.

3. Why is your topic important to HR and Talent pros?

Sam: One of the specific topics I talk about is the power of language to change behavior. It’s free and can increase your productivity by 50% if you choose your words wisely.

4. The DisruptHR format means you only get 5 minutes to speak to the audience. What unique challenges and opportunities does such a condensed speaking slot offer?

Sam: This was a big learning for me! I am used to having at least 30 minutes to get my point across. It took great discipline and focus to keep boiling down the content to make sure I was getting my main point across. I actually ended up with 3 talks, so I am ready to go for the next time!

5. How does DisruptHR provide you with a platform to talk about Talent, Tech and HR in new ways?

Sam: I am a huge fan of TED talks and watch them pretty much every day. There are so many great ideas out there so to have a forum specifically for HR professionals is awesome.

6. You’re a big name in the HR space. Please share 2 or 3 other ‘influencers’ in the space who you follow and tell us why.

Sam: I love following Ryan Khan from MTV’s Hired on twitter. His posts and articles are always thought provoking and fun. I also follow Sheryl Sandberg. She is the most influential woman in business right now and my wish is for HR to bust out of its name and become more business savvy. Sheryl talks about many of the HR issues in business without giving it that label.

7. The HR Gazette is a big believer in the shift from traditional thoughts of HR to embracing modern HR as part of ‘people and culture‘. What does ‘people and culture’ mean to you?

Sam: It’s my favorite topic! To me, people and culture are the DNA of the business. They are the living breathing personality that reflects the company’s brand into the marketplace. Every single choice a business has made or will make impacts the culture.

8. What do you think will be the major developments in the Talent and Recruitment space to watch out for in the next 12 months and why? For example, how does the growing numbers of Millennials in the workplace shape traditional talent acquisition and management approaches?

Sam: I would love to see the performance review die and a shift towards results-oriented work environments where your peers and project groups are assessing your performance daily and in a more interactive and fun way. Maybe if I wish it, it will come true?

9. DisruptHR Cayman is happening the evening prior to the 2016 CISHRP Conference. What are you hoping to get from this year’s Conference and which companies are you hoping to meet there?

Sam: I will be the host for this year’s conference so I am very excited. I am hoping that everyone finds their super powHR and I am excited to meet companies that are making waves in the wellness and technology space.